Our Story
by Ginnie
Summary: Nyahaha!!! My dear korosu, I'm back!! Beloved followers, chapter 4 has been uploaded!! ::ponces around like...:: Akira and Kaede get around to going out, and Kaede realizes that there's something he loves about being with Akira.
1. Reflections

* * *

Summary:   
This is a Rukawa reflective story... Okay, so I suck at writing reflections, but... I couldn't find anything else to do with my spare time during Social Studies, Computer Science, and other blah-blah subjects which I'm no good at even if I tried...   
Hehehe... well, you know the drill, R&R! hehehehe... 

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Disclaimers:   
-> Slam Dunk belongs entirely to tensai Takehiko Inoue (and no, by 'tensai' I don't mean 'natural disaster', because that refers to some other aka saru who keeps "singing" at the top of his lungs "Ore wa Tensai!!", if you can call it "singing" and simply not "making noise"...)   
-> This version of the song belongs to Christina Aguilera, her record company, and the producers. 

* * *

* * *

** Look at me   
You may think you see who I really am   
But you never know me **

Kaede peered at himself in the mirror. _ Who are you?_ he thought at the reflection. _ You can't be me. I'm someone else. You're not me, I'm not you, _ he thought, looking at a small photograph under the glass of his table. It was a picture of what looked like a 10-year-old boy with impossibly messy hair, extremely pale complexion and a jovial smile.   
_You can't fool me, Rukawa Kaede. After all, I AM you. And I don't think you can fool yourself,_ the reflection mocked him. At least, Kaede _thought_ the reflection was mocking him.   
_Heck, do I myself even know who I am? _

** Now I see   
If I wear a mask, I could fool the world   
But I cannot fool my heart **

The day had started out as it usually did. Kaede had gotten onto his bike at half-past seven, had ridden to school, had fallen asleep on the road somewhere along the way, had consequently run over some people, subsequently hit Sakuragi with his bike, ("Teme, kitsune!! Why won't you learn to stay awake?!"), and was immediately surrounded by girls.   
_ Same old, same old. _ Kaede had already gotten used to the ever-present Oendan Girls that he didn't really notice them anymore.   
_ Not that it matters, _ he thought as he stood up, picked up his bike and locked it to the bike racks, and dragged himself to class. _ It doesn't change a thing, anyway.   
* * *   
Apparently, no one even cares, _ he thuoght as he made another graceful shot. "Nothing but net," he mumbled as he ran to pick up the ball.   
* * *   
"Hell, I'm living a routine," he whispered as his arm mechanically unlocked the chain of his bike. He had done the same movement before so many times that he never had to think about it anymore. _ No variation to my non-existent life at all. _   
"Kami-sama, I don'tknow what I want with my life..."   
He sighed. _ And no one's going to help me figure out the immeasurable fathoms of my disgruntled mind. _

** Who is the one I see   
Staring straight back at me   
When will my reflection show who I am inside **

He felt the strong urge to punch the image in the mirror between its cobalt-blue kitsune eyes, but knew very well that doing so wouldn't help him a bit.   
To restrain himself, he threw his suddenly heavy body onto his bed, his usual means of escape from outside forces and influences, even for just a while. _ Only...   
What am I escaping from? Reality or myself? _   
Kaede heaved a sigh. _To be honest, I have no idea. _   
His hands clasped behind his head, Rukawa stared at the ceiling for a few more moments before he flipped over onto his stomach and closed his eyes. _ I hate the time away from practice. Without the game to occupy me, I think too much...   
Especially...   
About...   
Who I am... _

** I am now   
In a world where I have to hide my heart   
And what I believe in **

_ Damn phone. _   
Kaede reached over to pick it up. "Moshi-moshi?"   
"Eh, konnichiwa, Rukawa-kun!" Mitsui's cheerful baritone sounded through the receiver.   
"Hai?"   
"Well, we were plannning a little get-together, and --"   
"Who do you mean by 'we'?"   
"Oh, me, Akagi, Kogure, Miyagi, Sakuragi, and the rest of the team. Nothing much, just one of those spur-of-the-moment things, you know? Anyway, it'd probably be after practice tomorrow --"   
"I don't think I --"   
"Ah, come on, Rukawa. You always run off right after practice. You should socialize even just a little, you know."   
_ And you wonder why no one's there to help you._   
Kaede decided to ignore the remarks of Mitsui and that unwanted voice that piped up whenever he least wanted it to.   
In the background, he heard the gentle voice of Kogure asking for the phone.   
_ Ooh... what's Kogure doing in Mitsui's house? _ a naughty voice in his head asked. [A/N: Watashi wa do'ahou ne...Kaede-kun has Caller ID, I just didn't know where to put it...and this line wasn't in the original draft...I just finished reading a MitKo lemon, you see, so...]   
"Rukawa-kun?"   
"Hai?"   
"We're not forcing you to come along. We were just thinking that...well, it'd be good for you and for all of us if you did. We'd be able to interact with each other more easily - and not just in games, if you know what I mean." [ A/N: Waah... *spiraled eyes* twisted line...]   
Kaede felt himself about to give in -- listening to Kogure's kind, convincing tone, he almost did. He saw the photograph of his younger self on his table, and realized how much he missed being around other people and acutally _ talking _ to them...   
But his pride overtook his emotional side yet again. He blurted out his next words before he was even aware that he actually thought about saying them.   
"Gomen, Kogure-sempai. Maybe some other time."   
"Aa, okay. Wakatteru. Ja ne, Rukawa-kun."   
Without another word, Kaede returned the phone to its cradle.   
_ Well, that's the way it is. Reveal too much of yourself and the next thing you know, your heart's a part of the Yellow Brick Road in plain sight for everyone to see and step on. _ [A/N: ^-^']   
He felt his throat tighten convulsively, and tears sprang to those sapphire eyes as he remembered his childhood, full of neglect.   
_Ja ne, Kaasan, Tousan!" "Hn." _

** But somehow   
I will show the world what's inside my heart   
And be loved for who I am **

"Oi, kitsune! Pass the ball!"   
_ Do'ahou... _   
Kaede easily eluded Kogure and faked a shot, passing it easily over the other players to Mitsui, who sank a beautiful three-point shot.   
"Nice pass, Rukawa!" Ayako called out.   
Out of the corner of his eye, Kaede noticed Sakuragi looking at him with fury. _ And jealousy, if I may add. _ In reply, he turned to face the redhead with a slight look of boredom and contempt. "Omake."   
"Nani?!"   
"Do'ahou."   
"Teme, kitsune!!"   
"Yare yare."   
As usual, Kogure tried to stop them. "Maa, maa Sakuragi-kun mo Rukawa-kun. Yamete, yamete..." he pleaded, wearing his kawaii smile. [A/N: Waah!! *spiraled eyes*]   
* * *   
_ "Nice play, Ryota!"   
"Ah, well... It was Rukawa's point..."   
That's all they know and acknowledge me for. Heck, I know it's my fault. But after what I've been through... _   
Kaede cringed as undesired memories played in his mind. _ Who could blame me for not wanting to get hurt? If I don't hope, I don't hurt inside.   
Demo...   
Maybe someday, I'll show them who I really am. _

** Who is the one I see   
Staring straight back at me   
Why is my reflection someone I don't know   
Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time   
When will my reflection show who I am inside **

_ Anger...   
Such a powerful and fearful adversary...   
It consumes you , confuses you..._ [A/N: And I would like to thank Linkin Park for giving me the idea for this sentence, inspired by the line from "Crawling"...]   
Kaede sighed, and set down the book he was reading. _ Amazing. I'm actually staying up this late to study.   
Shimatta... _   
He nibbled on his lower lip, and threw himself facedown onto the bed, ignoring the pain that resonated in his head -- which increased when he hit his head on the headboard. [A/N: The word "head" is a little too redundant in the story, ne?]   
He picked up the book and effortlessly tossed it towards the dresser. It made a dull thud when it hit the mirror, and another when it landed on the table.   
_ Chikusho na kagami..._   
He stood up, walked over to the mirror, and looked at his reflection. In an attempt to restrain himself, he gripped the edges of the table.   
_ Usotsuki..._ [A/N: Yes, I used the right word. Kaede-kun's addressing the mirror for not showing who he really is -- well, who _Kaede-kun_ thinks he is...] 

** There's a heart that must be free to fly   
That burns with a need to know   
The reason why   
Why must we all conceal   
What we think, how we feel   
Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide **

_ I know perfectly well why..._   
The song "Reflections" was playing on the radio, and one line particularly attached itself to his mind, namely the one that went, "Why must we all conceal / What we think, how we feel..."   
_ Because I don't want to get hurt. Hell, nobody does. _

** I won't pretend that I'm   
Someone else for all time   
When will my reflection show who I am inside **

_ But I'm not, _ he insisted softly, almost meekly.   
_I am who I am. I'm Rukawa Kaede. _   
Something in him snapped.   
Finally giving in to the urge, Kaede balled his hand into a fist, and rammed it against the enraged expression of his reflection.   
_ That's not me. _   
He looked down at a solitary shard of glass at his feet, which had blood splatters on it from his hand.   
With warm, dark red liquid pouring from open wounds on the back of his hand, he picked up the piece, stared at himself for the briefest moment, before chucking it out the window. 

~owari~ 

* * *

* * *

Waah!! Really stupid...   
I know, I know. It's really strange for "Reflections" to be playing in Japan, but... *shrugs carelessly*   
Waah!! Can anyone suggest a good song that would be a good Sendoh reflective? Hehe... this may not be the end, after all... I might do a Rhygell and make a chapter-by-chapter story with a different song for each chapter. I've got the plot all figured out, actually. I just need a song for Sendoh...   
Oh, and by the way, if you could give me a good suggestion, email it to me, please... Or at least provide your email address in a review. If I pick your suggestion, I'll most likely ask for the lyrics. 

Now, don't go thinking I'm an ungrateful baka! I'll credit you, of course... in any way you want, as long as it doesn't involve money or lives or... But hopefully you'd be satisfied with being on a list of fave authors or being mentioned in the next chapter or - if I'd imitate Isys again - be acknowledged in an A/N chapter... hehehe... 


	2. All the Love in the World

Disclaimers:   
=> Slam Dunk - not mine. Takehiko Inoue's.   
=> Song - The Corrs.   
=> Program used to type the story - Bill Gates's.   
=> As for everything else -- namely the paper, pen ink, pencils, eraser, sharpener, electricity, keyboard, monitor, computer, and time spent -- they're all mine. Oh, and let's not forget the plot. 

Summary:   
Written from Sendoh's POV. I dedicate this chapter to Draco (nyahahaha!--). Also dedicated to my muse for suggesting the song and because she's an anti-SenRu... nyahahaha!!! ::gets bopped on the head by Rhygell:: 

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* * *

** I'm not looking for someone to talk to   
I've got my friends, I'm more than okay   
I've got more than a guy could wish for   
I've gotmy dreams, but it's not all, they say **

"Yosha!"   
Akira landed, and wiped the layer of perspiration that formed above his lips. He smiled, having just shot a beautiful three-pointer, fade-away shot.   
"Game set!"   
Koshino slapped Akira on the back. "Eh, Sendoh-san! Great play -- as always."   
Akira smiled modestly at his teammate, then cast a wary glance at the captain. "Well, I've got to get going. Ja ne, Koshino!"   
After just having gone a few meters away from the gym -- running, no doubt -- he heard the voice of Uozumi calling him. "SENDOH!!! It's the sophomores' turn to clean-up. COME BACK HERE!!!"   
Akira just laughed. "Ja ne, Uozumi-sempai!!" he called over his shoulder.   
* * *   
_I'm glad that I'm alone here from time to time_, the ace thought as he headed for his room. _The size of this house seems a lot less intimidating_.   
When he opened the door, what he saw was a welcoming sight -- the huge, extremely well-decorated room, which (despite its size) was still small enough to not daunt a person.   
Akira laughed softly as he looked at the mess he had left there that morning. There were clean and dirty clothes thrown around the room, indistinguishable from one another in the small heaps they were in. The cap of his gel bottle was at least 2 meters away from the bottle itself, and there were dry spots on the mirror where the gel hit it and Akira had not wiped them off.   
_Was there ever a time that it didn't welcome me?_   
After a quick shower, he threw himself onto the bed, bouncing a couple of times before his graceful body settled.   
He folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.   
_I've got all that I want_, he thought as he let his gaze roam around his haven. _But I feel like..._

** Still I believe   
I'm missing something real   
I need someone who really sees me**

"A challenge?" Akira thought.   
_Nah, scratch that_. "I get enough of that from Uozumi-sempai."   
A face with a fierce, determined expression in his blue eyes flashed through his mind. _And Rukawa-kun, too._   
Akira decided to disregard that thought, wherever _that_ had come from.   
_Don't ignore me!_   
Akira snorted. _I can very well do that if I want to, thanks very much.   
Well, it's true. Rukawa Kaede is a big challenge for you. _   
To distract himself, Akira got up and walked over to his desk, pulling an immensely large textbook towards him. Seomthing else had caught his interest, though.   
A videotape lay near a framed photograph of himself at the Jr. High Basketball Nationals. He looked at his image in the picture, holding the trophy for his team, before turning his attention back to the tape.   
_Odd. I wonder where that came from?_   
He picked it up, and noticed that a sheet of paper was pinned down by it. 

  
_ Eh, Sendoh-san,   
I dropped by earlier to give you this tape, but you   
weren't around when I came by, so I asked the   
househelp to leave this in your room. Hope you find it   
interesting!   
Aida Hikoichi _

Akira plugged the tape into the VCR. A few seconds into it, the tape showed a jump ball between two gorillas, one clad in white and the other in red.   
"I'm hallucinating," he said with a laugh as he shook his head.   
He watched the game progress with intense interest. [A/N: It's supposed to be the practice game between Shohoku and Ryonan. I just didn't know where to put it in the story...]   
* * *   
"Well, at least now I know how I could guard Rukawa better at the eliminations," he said forty minutes later. The super rookie's speed and ability had surprised Akira when they were in that game, so he had been sort of slow to react. He understood Rukawa's style better now, though. _ Now _there's_ someone to look forward to at the Inter High._

========================== 

_ Akira sat in the stands, watching the game develop.   
The #11 of Shohoku made a dash for the ball, and quickly passed it back to his teammates to prevent it from going out-of-bounds just before he rammed headlong into the wall.   
Akira gasped, then stood up, wondering -- along with everyone else -- what had happened to the player.   
What he saw wasn't a pretty sight. Rukawa lay still and motionless on the floor, apparently knocked out. The rest of Shohoku's basketball team ran to the injured figure.   
The manager quickly called for an ice bag, and a few minutes later, the one with the earring handed it to her. Mitsui, the ex-MVP, supported Rukawa into a sitting position, and the girl held the ice bag to Rukawa's head. A trickle of blood made its way down the side of the pale face.   
A few, breathless moments later, the eyelids fluttered open to reveal blue eyes, glinting in the lights of the gym. Those eyes met with Akira's own azure ones, and Akira felt his heart catch in his throat.   
_He has beautiful eyes. I wonder what he'd look like if he smiled... 

========================== 

The morning sun and the clatter of trucks outside roused Akira from his sleep.   
_Weird. I could have sworn I was watching a game._   
Indigo fox-like eyes flashed briefly across his mind, and Akira felt his cheeks flush at the memory of what he felt when their eyes met.   
_Why, though?_

~tsuzuku~ 

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* * *

Nyahahaha!!! Well, some of the lyrics just didn't fit the story at this point... I just _had_ to remove them... "All The Love In The World" is a love song, ne? Demo, nothing's happening between the two of them - yet. So, due to the weirdness of my plot, I was coerced (yeah right) to not put in some of the lines... 

Anyway, whatcha think? I had trouble writing this chapter, since I was writing it on the Sunday before our quarterly exams... And I _had_ to get writer's block and mental block at the same time... 

Yes, I know the chapter's short, but bear with me. It's exam week, for sobbing out loud... 


	3. Getting To Know Each Other A Little Too ...

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** Chapter 3: Getting to Know Each Other a Little too Well **

* * *

Summary:   
=> Their paths have crossed and their eyes have met...and each held his gaze for a little too long. What does it mean? Yes, yes, I know that you know, but... Just--humor me for a while, okay?   
=> Oh yeah... There's an OC here... I made her Sendou's girlfriend... Don't kill me, I had to find _someway_ for the story to fit the song... And I didn't know how to break Sendou and Koshino up without making Koshino sound like a very jealous ex...   
=> Eh... Rhygell-chan... I have a slight hint of HanaRu here... I mean, Sendou's got his kanojo, Rukawa's got to have his -- um, guy.   
=> BTW, remember in Chapter 1 (Reflections), it's sort of indicated there that Sakuragi and Rukawa still hold mutual hatred for each other? Well, somewhere along the way they, erm, fall in _like_. Maybe I could get a friend of mine to write a story for that part... 

Disclaimers:   
=> song - not mine. I forgot who it belongs to.   
=> Slam Dunk - Takehiko Inoue's. 

* * *

* * *

** I call you, and you call me   
It's funny how we get along so easily **

"One-on-one."   
"Eh?"   
"Play one-on-one with me."   
A smirk crept onto Akira's face. Kaede realized what he was thinking.   
"Do'ahou." _Not to mention hentai._   
"What?!" Akira exclaimed, laughing.   
"Basketball, bakerou," Kaede said, the same blank expression on his cold, passive face.   
Akira grinned. "Oh. I thought for a minute there that--"   
Kaede sighed. "Tsss... Hentai na do'ahou," he cut in.   
* * *   
Akira wiped the layer of sweat that had formed above his upper lip. His game with Kaede had tired him out thouroughly.   
Kaede had his arm over his mouth, breathing hard. He was tired as well, having tried to prove to himself that he was better than Sendou Akira.   
The Ryonan ace glanced at his watch, then looked up at Kaede.   
"Yosh, sayonara, Rukawa!" he said to the fox-eyed freshman.   
"Hn," came the reply, less colder than usual.   
Akira smiled to himself, failing to catch the slight loss of the chill in Kaede's voice. _He'll never change._

** We're just friends, aren't we   
You've got yours, I've got mine   
And friends are all we ever could be **

Kaede watched the retreating person silently.   
He turned and walked to his bike, unchained it from where he was, and mounted it.   
"Oi, kitsune!"   
He easily recognized the braying voice of Sakuragi Hanamichi. Although he very much wanted to go home and soak his sore muscles in a hot bath [A/N: Need help, Kaede-kun? ^-^'], he stayed where he was, glad to hear the voice of his kareshi.   
Sakuragi looked to the distance in the direction where Sendou was walking.   
"Isn't that smiley? You were with him just now, weren't you?"   
_No, I wasn't. How much more obvious could it get, Hana-chan?_ Kaede didn't move a muscle.   
Sakuragi wasn't fazed, however, nor did he take notice of Kaede's silence. He merely glanced at his watch [A/N: Ei, Kaede doesn't have a watch! Hehehehehehe...], then suddenly exclaimed, "Shimatta! I've got to go, kitsune -- I'm gonna be late!" then sped off.   
* * *   
"Akira-san!"   
Akira turned in the direction of the voice.   
Something suddenly slammed into him which knocked all the air out of his lungs, almost making him fall over in the process.   
He winced. "Itai..."   
A girl of about 15 grinned at him. "Konnichiwa, Akira-san!"   
Putting the infamous smile back in place, Akira picked up the ball that the girl had thrown at him. "Kari-chan! Genki desu ka?"   
Kari smiled, and slid her hand into his. "I'm great! You, how did your day go?"   
"Oh, same as usual." As he responded, he thought about the game he had that afternoon. He remembered the scowl on Kaede's face whenever Akira scored, and the signs of silent triumph in his cold blue eyes whenever he scored.   
"Akira-san?"   
Akira shook his head in a lame attempt to clear his mind. "Gomen ne, I wasn't listening. You were saying?"   
The girl smiled. "Nan de mo nai. It's just that... well, you've been getting sorta distant lately. What's on your mind?"   
_Oh, right. I haven't told her about my dream yet._   
He then settled for looking politely puzzled. "Eh?"   
"Oh, never mind."   
They continued in silence for a few minutes, Kari walking jovially along the street and Akira just allowing himself to be led.   
"Well, this is where I leave you. Ja ne!" Kari reached up and gave him a quick peck on the lips. [A/N: Sendou obliged by bending down so it could be easier for her, hehehe...] She then walked away, her brown ponytail bobbing up and down.   
Akira tried hard to focus on the color of his kanojo's eyes, but something else kept forcing its way into his mind.   
_Cerulean-colored eyes..._

** But we're getting to know each other a little too well   
We're strating to show our feelings, and people can tell**

Kaede woke up much earlier than usual, due to the persistent shouts that called his name.   
He rubbed his eyes, dragged himself over to the window, and fumbled with the lock on it for quite a while before he was finally able to force it open. Leaning out, he saw the vice-captain and the ex-MVP outside.   
_Don't those two ever spend any time away from each other?_ "Nandato?"   
"We have practice today! Come on, you're gonna be late!"   
_Like you won't be if you keep standing there._   
Kaede groaned before shutting the window, and made his way to his closet. Much as he enjoyed the thrill that basketball brought him, he just wasn't in the mood for it that day.   
Three minutes later, he was forcing himself out the front door.   
"Need a lift?"   
He looked at the duo for a while before he nodded once in unvoiced gratitude [A/N: poetic phrase, ne? ~_~'], and followed them to Mitsui's Mazda.   
* * *   
Kaede stared out the window on the drive to the school gym, as Mitsui and Kogure kept talking and talking and --   
"Hey, isn't that Sendou of Ryonan?"   
He snapped out of his daze and immediately looked in the direction that Kogure had indicated. Sure enough, the spike-haired player was there on the sidewalk, a girl by his side. The girl was talking animatedly; the ace's mind seemed to be wandering.   
_Well, duh. Who wouldn't recognize that hentai's trademark hairstyle?_   
Something tugged at Kaede's heart, something he couldn't decipher, at the sight of the girl walking beside Akira.   
"Eh, Sendou!" Kogure called out as the car passed by the two. Since they were in a residential zone, it was alright for them to stop for a while, which Mitsui did.   
Immediately, Akira beamed and walked over to them. "Ohayou!"   
Mitsui smiled at him. "Hey, looking good! Who's the pretty lady?" he said in a flattering voice to Kari, who grinned playfully as she joined the group and wrapped her arm around Akira's.   
"This is Kari, a good friend of mine, " he replied.   
Kaede snorted. _Not comfortable with saying what you mean, are you?_   
"Oh, Rukawa!" Akira exclaimed, taking notice of the pale boy.   
"Where're you guys headed?" Kogure asked.   
"We've still got quite a walk ahead of us. We're going to the pizza parlor to meet up with some friends, then... Well, we haven't quite got any plans yet," Akira answered.   
Mitsui gestured to the back. "We can drop you off there. Care to hitch a ride?"   
"You sure it's not too much trouble?"   
"Hai! Come on, get in."   
Akira opened the back passenger door, and motioned for Kari to climb in. "After you, m'lady."   
Kari giggled, and sat next to Kaede, who muttered, "Yare, yare."   
Akira followed her in, and they drove on.   
* * *   
"He was so quiet. Is he always like that?" Kari questioned Akira as Mitsui's car moved away.   
The latter smiled down at her. "Yeah. No one knows why, though. He's also usually as cold as stone, like -- no emotions or something."   
_There was something about the way he looked at me when he saw Kari and me together, though._

** Everytime that your eyes meet mine   
I light up like a neon sign   
Yes, we're getting to know each other a little too well**

Akira wandered on, lost in thought. He had left Kari with their friends at the pizza parlor, saying he had other things to do.   
_What, like think to the death of you?_   
He couldn't help but recall the distant, far-off look in Kaede's eyes in the car that morning.   
_Most likely wanting to be left to his own thoughts, doesn't want to be bothered. _   
And Akira realized that he was little by little starting to understand the incomprehensible Rukawa Kaede. 

** We have lunch every now and then   
And I find myself humming love songs again and again**

_ That Kari... she never succeeded at making me frown even once, did she? _   
Akira tapped his pen against his head, figuring out his geometry homework. [A/N: Rhygell's influence... her writings lately are always geom-associated...]   
He switched the radio on, hoping that it would help him concentrate on his schoolwork...   
Instead, he found himself singing along to the tunes on the radio.   
Heaving a sigh, he closed his book and threw his pen across the room. _Damn. Now I really can't concentrate.   
Maybe I'm thinking too much about Kari, _ he concluded. He smiled as he pictured her running to him, her smile as bright as the sun. _ I'm crazy in love with her._   
Then he pictured Kaede all of a sudden.   
_Eh... nandato?_

** On too many nights, I'm working till ten   
And I hope that you know   
That it's hopeless to go on when**

_ Not good._   
Kaede watched the ball circle on the rim once, twice... before it finally dropped into the basket.   
Breathing heavily, he pulled up the neck of his shirt and wiped the sweat above his lip. It was awfully hot in the gym, and he was perspiring just standing there.   
_Oh, what the heck. No one's around anyway._ He stripped off his shirt, baring his powerfully- built figure and perfectly chiseled abs. [A/N: *swoon* (0__o)' Fine, I made this up...]   
Kaede tried to remember exactly how Akira did his fade-away shots, and did his best to imitate him...   
The ball bounced on the ring and flew off.   
_No good. I'm thinking about him too much._   
He had the sudden urge to hit his head on the wall, or give the floor a headbutt [A/N: Sakuragi-style! Hehehehehe...] in desperate attempts to clear his head of any thoughts of Sendou Akira, but knew that hurting himself wouldn't be any help.   
_Haven't you learned enough from the mirror, Kaede?_ That voice again.   
Now he _desperately_ needed to hit something.   
Kaede breathed deeply, trying to calm his raging emotions. He picked up the ball and rolled it between his palms as he stared at the net.   
_Why did he suddenly become a big part of my life, anyway?_   
He bounced the ball as hard as he could against the floor and turned his back on it, ignoring the swishing sound that followed.   
_I can't concentrate._

** We're getting to know each other a little too well   
We're starting to show our feelings, and people can tell **

"Akira-san..."   
"Hm?"   
"Nothing... Just wanted to check if your mind is still in your body..."   
Akira laughed and kissed his kanojo on her forehead. "What made you think it wasn't?"   
Kari looked down. "oh... Lately, when we're out, you're... I don't know... um..."   
The Ryonan ace, tilted the girl's face up to meet his. "Come on, tell me," he prompted her.   
The latter sighed. "Akir-san, I know you're not an okama in any way, but... You like Rukawa-kun, don't you?"   
She flushed, slightly embarrassed, upon seeing Akira's reaction, but she pushed the feeling away and met his eyes, daring him to tell the truth. "Tell me the truth, Akira-san."   
Akira sighed. "Kari... daisuki da ne... demo..." He broke off and looked at her, pleading with his eyes, begging her to understand the internal conflict inside him. [A/N: Any comments on the sentence?]   
In those few moments of his hesitation, Kari understood. She silenced him, pressing a finger to his lips. "I kinda gathered that. Wakatteru. If you want, Akira-san... I'll give you time to yourself..." she whispered.   
Akira smiled gratefully at her.   
_A genuine smile,_ Kari noted. _ I haven't seen one of those in a long while._   
She stood up. "Well, then... Ja ne, Akira-san." She kissed him for a brief moment then started to leave.   
Akira suddenly reached out and pulled her to him. He hugged her, and murmured into her ear.   
"Arigatou, Kari-chan." He released her. "I'll take you home."   
* * *   
Kaede walked alongside Sakuragi, the silence pressing in on him from all sides. _Damn._   
Usually, the silence didn't unnerve him, seeing as he practically lived by it. But now... he shivered.   
Sakuragi draped an arm over Kaede's shoulders. "Daijobu?"   
Kaede shrugged the arm off. Sakuragi stopped walking. "Oi, kitsune, what's wrong?"   
_Nothing. Just a guilty conscience. _   
"Kitsune... Matte... Tell me what's wrong."   
_Tired._   
"Oi...nanda?"   
_Just tired._ [A/N: This and the previous italicized line was taken from FF VIII when Rinoa was trying to coax Squall into going to the concert... My thanks to Hironobu Sakaguchi for making such an excellent game...]   
The redhead reached out and shook the ace by the shoulders. "Chikusho, kitsune! Talk to me!"   
Kaede gripped Sakuragi's wrists almost painfully. "It doesn't concern you, do'ahou!" he half-screamed furiously.   
"Then who?! Why don't you fucking tell me, huh, kitsune?! Why don't you fuckin' tell me if there's nothing for you to hide?!" Sakuragi yelled back at him. "Dammit! I can't take your silence!!" His eyes glinted dangerously. "Is it Gori? Megane-kun? Micchy? Ryocchin? Ayako-san? Haruko-san? Nozaru? Oyaji? Substitute player?" Silence. "It's smiley, isn't it? Oi, kitsune, answer me! Oi!"   
At the simple mention of Akira, Kaede ceased all motion. He dropped his hands and his gaze wandered to the ground.   
Sakuragi understood right away, but it did nothing to appease his fury. "So it's smiley?! What does he have that I don't?! Everything?! Maybe you never really fuckin' loved me to begin with!!!" He brought their lips together in a bruising kiss; Kaede struggled weakly, though he responded. "Remember how my kisses used to feel, kitsune? Do you remember?! Or do you think about and remember nothing except that bastard now?!"   
Breathing heavily, Kaede reached out to touch him. "Hana-chan... please don't make this harder than it already is..." Sakuragi slapped the offending hand away. Fox blue eyes brimming with unshed tears, Kaede bit his lip. _Hana-chan..._   
Sakuragi looked at him, the expression on his face different. His eyes had lost the fire of anger; brown eyes dead and dull. It was worse than the hysterical Sakuragi Hanamichi of a while back.   
"Hana-chan..." _I love you, I really do. But Akira is..._   
"You know what kitsune? You made a nice choice. Sendou is so much better in basketball. He's taller. He's got a hot body and he's not an idiot --"   
"Hana..." Kaede couldn't restrain the pain, hurt and confusion from creeping into his voice. _Don't. Please don't.   
Such lifeless hazel eyes. _   
"I thought this is what you wanted. I'm setting you free. Omedetou on picking such a good replacement, kitsune." At that, Sakuragi turned away from him.   
Kaede watched as the stubborn redhead walked away, feeling his heart shattering.   
After a while though, he turned back, face uncharacteristically emotionless. "You brought this upon yourself... Rukawa. Sayonara."   
_My fault... all my fault... Gomen nasai, Hana-chan... demo..._

** Everytime that your eyes meet mine   
I light up like a neon sign   
Yes, we're getting to know each other...**

Kari reached out and put her hand on Akira's shoulder. "Nee, Akira-san, isn't that Rukawa?" she said, indicating the lone figure standing by a lamppost.   
Akira pulled over next to the person. "Oi, Rukawa-kun..."   
Blue eyes met his own, and Akira saw a ghost of a smile flicker across Kaede's features. Something glistened on his cheek in the light, and Akira recognized it -- _ as a tear trail.   
Rukawa Kaede -- crying? _   
"Where're you headed?" he asked, deciding to ignore the emotion that arose in the aftershock of seeing evidence of Rukawa Kaede's tears.   
"Nowhere... Home, maybe."   
"Need a ride?" Akira offered, gesturing toward the backseat. "I'll just take Kari home, then you. Is that ok? -- I mean, if you want a ride back, that is."   
Wordlessly, Kaede climbed in.   
* * *   
"Where to, Rukawa-kun?" Akira said 10 minutes later.   
Kaede directed him in the direction of his dwelling. _Awfully nice guy he is..._   
* * *   
Akira stopped the car infront of a stately abode, gaping at the gorgeous facade. Kaede smirked, taking note of the look on Akira's face. He got out of the car, but before he closed the door...   
"Nee, Sendou-san..."   
"Hai?"   
Kaede nodded. "Arigatou." 

** Yes, we're getting to know each other   
A little too well... **

  
_ ~tsuzuku~ _

* * *

* * *

Finally! Sorry it took such a long time, I had lots of stuff to do and neither inspiration nor drive to continue... It took me 3 weeks (well, maybe not) to complete the chapter... 

How'd you like the HanaRu break-up scene? Credit goes to Zenquin for rewriting that entire part, and for agreeing to write the HanaRu get-together before this chapter, although maybe they haven't uploaded it yet (? they're two separate halves residing in one being... I'm betting Quindos was being sick while Zendene was so happily writing it... anyway, that part is dubbed "chapter 2.5" by yours truly...) 


	4. Everytime

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: EVERYTIME **

Yes! Finally, chapter 4 is done -- Korosu, gomen ne!! I had to make you wait for so long!!!!   
Hehehe... It's hard to find inspiration to NOT do school work when it isn't exam week... I had started work on this only during the last week of school before Christmas break (2nd week of December, if I'm not mistaken -- Dec. 9-13), but I only finished it on Dec.28 

DISCLAIMERS:   
- Slam Dunk™ is property of Takehiko Inoue (and Toei Animations, I think...)   
- Fic was made merely for self- and public-entertainment purposes. No monetary profit is made from these twisted works of a delinquent.   
- The song used in this chapter is Janet Jackson's. (I'm not sure if it's a remake... I think it is.) 

* * *

* * *

**I'm afraid I'm starting to feel   
What I said I wouldn't do   
Coz the last time really hurt me**

_"Hana-chan... itomagoi o suru nai..." _[A/N: If I'm not mistaken, that means "don't leave" or "don't go"]   
Kaede opened his eyes, expecting to find himself kneeling down and hunched over in the midst of an open field.   
Instead, he was lying facedown on his bed, the pillow thouroughly soaked with tears.   
_Yume dake wa... yume dake wa... _he kept repeating to himself.   
Yet, when he made his way to his desk and his eyes chanced upon photographs of him and Hanamichi, a fresh wave of sadness hit him. Tears gently made their way down his cheeks in rivulets of sorrow.   
_It's over. Stop being such a wimp!_   
He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a while [A/N: *grin* the mirror's already been replaced... If you remember in chapter 1, our Kaede showed some emotion by giving in to his urges and punching the mirror], contemplating on how pathetic a creature was facing him -- until the phone rang.   
Hoping against hope that it was Hanamichi, Kaede raced for the phone.   
"Moshi moshi?"   
"Rukawa? It's Sendoh Akira."   
Kaede lost heart momentarily, then beat furiously (against his will) upon hearing Akira's voice.   
"Just calling to see how you are... I mean, you were pretty desolate last night."   
_Don't remind me._   
"Hey, you know what? A guy in your depressed state needs some serious cheering up. What say we meet somewhere, and do something together?" 

**I'm scared to fall in love   
Afraid to love so fast   
Coz everytime I fall in love   
It seems to never last**

_Better not seem too eager._   
"..."   
"Come on,k Rukawa! You should get out a little more, you know?"   
_Like you care._   
"And before you say anything, I do care, actually."   
_Hell... Is this guy a mind reader? _"Tch. Fine. Nothing to do here anyway."   
Akira chuckled. "Kami-sama... Rukawa Kaede, who never ceased indulging in practice, is bored?! Hah! The end of the world is coming!"   
Kaede snorted. "Urusei." Then he sighed. "I'm too exhausted to practice, anyway."   
"Yosh! Meet you outside the Pachinko parlor in an hour." [A/N: *grin* I couldn't think of anything else... ^-^']   
Kaede nodded curtly, then remembered that Akira couldn't see him. "OK." 

Akira felt like poncing around his room.   
"Whoa, horsey," he whispered to himself. Eventually, he was able to force himself to stop prancing around like a git [A/N: er... yes, the comparative adjective's too strong...] and get ready for his date.   
_Date?_   
He stopped infront of his mirror. His gaze traveled to a picture of him and Kari at the last dance they'd been to together.   
Akira reached for it, and stared at it briefly before unlocking and opening one of his desk drawers ro drop the photo inside, where it landed face down. He slammed the drawer shut and locked it, making a mental note to lose the key ASAP. [A/N: *grin* Oh yeah... Kari is _slightly_ based on the author...]   
He checked himself in the mirror for a while, gave a satisfied nod, and headed out towards his destination. 

_Where is he?_   
Akira had been checking his watch for the last thirty minutes since he arrived -- still no sign of Kaede.   
_Serves you right for coming ten minutes too early. Besides, he probably fell asleep somewhere along the way._ The thought made him smile.   
"Oi, Smiley!! What's with the stupid grin on your face?"   
Akira looked up, and saw Hanamichi with his friends coming toward him from his right. [A/N: no doubt taking the opportunity to be thrown out again...] "Sakuragi," he greeted with a wave.   
A loud _bang!_ to his left made him start. He looked towards the source of the sound, only to discover upon perception that Kaede had been sleepwalking and thus rammed headlong into a lamppost. [A/N: *sweatdrop] __

_[Intermission... Rukawa Shinetai comes rushing to the aid of their fallen hero. They stand up and glare at the author. G Lee smiles ever-so-innocently, then, with a few keystrokes, deletes the Oendan from the scene.]_

Upon seeing Kaede, Akira immediately rushed over and knelt down next to him. "Oi, Rukawa, get up. People are staring," he whispered. Then, just for a tease, he blew into Kaede's ear.   
_Well, that was effective._

Kaede sat up and rubbed his eyes, not bothering to stiffle a yawn.   
His eyes met Hanamichi's.   
Whatever life there was in the redhead's eyes suddenly died out, and the gundan warily backed away. In those moments that the two stared at each other, Kaede tensed, feeling horribly down, depressed -- and guilty.   
Hanamichi was the first to pull away. He walked past Kaede, stopping momentarily to look back at the latter, his eyes full of pain.   
Kaede froze at the accusatory glance. _Did I do that? Did I put the hurt there? Hana-chan... Gomen..._ [A/N: OMG... it's so emotional...]   
He felt a slight, reassuring sort of pressure, and looked up to see that Akira had gently cupped his shoulder and was looking intently at him with something that seemed oddly like sympathy and understanding.   
"I think I get it." 

**But everytime your love is near   
And everytime I'm filled with fear   
Coz everytime I see your face   
My heart does begin to race everytime **

They sat quietly in the park, Kaede musing silently, Akira politely and patiently waiting out this spell.   
Akira stood up. "Come on, Rukawa! I dragged you out here to have some fun, not to reply that break-up over and over again in your mind just because you encountered each other. And I'm going to make you enjoy this afternoon if it's the last thing I do!" he cheerfully declared.   
_He's right._   
"Darn right I'm right."   
Kaede looked up, surprised. _... the hell?..._   
"Lucky guess?" Akira winked. 

"Yosh. Oyasumi, Kaede-kun."   
Kaede turned to face Akira (wondering when he had given him permission to start calling him 'Kaede'), who had his hand held out. He took it (much to Akira's surprise -- he had expected another 'give-me-five'). "Ja ne, Sendoh."   
And as Akira walked away, Kaede watched him go.   
"Sendoh?"   
Akira turned. "Hai?"   
Kaede nodded, and smiled briefly. "Arigatou." 

**One half wants me to go   
One half wants me to stay   
I just get so all confused **

Kaede woke up the next morning feeling considerably better than he had been the previous night.   
What a sight for sore eyes, he thought, looking at his refelction in the mirror.   
And to top it all off, he saw a corner of some decorative stationery peeking out from beneath his books.   
He felt his heart break as he recognized the paper. He gently tugged it out from under the pile and read the contents.[A/N: Pictures are _so_ tired...]   
It was a poem that Hanamichi had written for him. [A/N: And it's uploaded as a different entry... *grin*]   
_Past is past. Get over it!_   
He was in the middle of debating between crumpling the paper into a ball and throwing it into the trash bin, rippiing it up, setting it on fire, or framing it and hanging it in a sacred spot on one of his bedroom walls when the phone rang (yet again).   
_Kuso... how's a guy supposed to keep his sanity with all these petty distractions?_   
"Kaede-kun!" the caller exclaimed as soon as Kaede picked up the phone.   
_Annoyingly cheerful, this guy is._   
"Hai, Sendoh?"   
Akira laughed. "Oi, meet me at the basketball court beside the park in an hour."   
"...Naze?"   
"I want to play."   
Kaede grumbled. "Alright, fine." He gently fingered the edge of the paper, and a thought occured to him.   
He grabbed his sports bag and jammed a change of clothes into it (along with his essentials). Before he left his room, he took the poem and stuffed it into his pocket. [A/N: gets cornier and cornier by the minute, ne?] 

**I'm scared to fall in love   
Afraid to love so fast   
Coz everytime I fall in love it seems to never last**

Kaede waited expectantly as Akira read the poem.   
Akira looked up, a bemused expression on his face. "This is... incredible. I didn't know he could write." [A/N: don't expect too much of my poem, though.] "Is this what... you know..." he added, blushing unexpectedly.   
Kaede nodded. "It'd been a long time since someone understood me the way he did -- I mean..."   
Akira smiled. "Many relationships, huh? Or should we call them flings?"   
"They never lasted long... What am I saying? They never lasted, period."   
"Oh?" Akira leaned against the backrest of the bench and hung his arm behind Kaede. [A/N: yah, and then he'll drape his arm around Kaede's shoulders like they do in those ultra-cheesy commercials...] "Excuse me for asking, but... Why'd you split apart, anyway?"   
The younger boy snorted, amused. "You don't need to know."   
Akira playfully pushed the back of Kaede's head in a subtly flirtatious gesture. "Come on, tell me."   
After some more cutesy arguing [A/N: to borrow the phrase from a SenRu I read... I think it was "sick Cycle Carousel"...], Kaede sighed in defeat. "Does the word 'disloyalty' mean anything to you?"   
Akira whistled. "What, he caught you out with someone else?"   
"Iie." Kaede hesitated for a moment. "I was thinking of someone else when we were out the night you gave me a ride home."   
"Guess it's no longer any of my concern to ask whom it was that you were thinking about."   
_You... _"Why am I telling you all of this, anyway?"   
"Wakatte nai. You tell me."   
"..." 

  
"Ya, ja ne, Kaede-kun!" Akira waved merrily as he walked away.   
Kaede raised his hand and waved back [A/N: only one wave... that's how he is, right? Right] before swinging the gate open and stepping over the threshold to his home.   
As he climbed the stairs to his room, he thought about his day with Akira.   
He realized that he really enjoyed Akira's company, and that he confided in him more than he did in Hanamichi. [A/N: the ultimate in cheesy love stories]   
_It's weird though... But I can't help but trust him. _

**Could it be that this would be the one that lasts?...**

_~tsuzuku~_

* * *

* * *

Yes! After such a long time, ch4 is complete!!! 

I'm sorry if it's rather corny... I mean, I'm not exactly the most descriptive writer in the world!!! And I was writing this in the worst conditions possible for writing -- constant switching of pens, interruptions, desk is too cluttered with other essential junk... 

I know, I know, too many A/N's...   
Kaede's extremely OOC...   
It's strange, Akira keeps calling... 

Thank you to all those who have made it this far!!!   
Reviews are highly appreciated, minna-san!!!! 


End file.
